Over at the Xbox 360 calendar of events there is mention that if you purchase all five of the Summer of Arcade games before August 31, 2009 you’ll receive 800 Microsoft Points FREE! Here is a list of the five summer arcade games you need to purchase in order to get the free Microsoft Points.

Please be sure to read the terms and conditions and visit the official website for more information:Limit one (1) gift per person. To qualify for your gift, you must purchase all five (5) games from Xbox LIVE Arcade using your Xbox LIVE account, by August 31, 2009 11:59 EST. The free Points will automatically be deposited into your Xbox LIVE account after the end of the promotion period. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer available only to legal residents, age 13+, of the 50 United States (includes D.C.), while supplies last, is non-transferable, not redeemable for cash, and cannot be combined with any other rebate or offer. Taxes, if any, are the sole responsibility of the recipient.

After reading Major Nelson’s post about Silverlight ads on Xbox 360 and his explanation of how ads are going to be “a more organic part of the dashboard” I just sit back and ask myself why am I paying $50 a year to have ads shoved in my face. Here’s an idea the people at Mico$oft can think about… why not place all the ads you want on the Silver account holders? Ohhh wait I’m sure that once they too see the ads they’ll soon wonder “why would I pay $50 a year to have ads shoved in my face?” hmmm… I may just be eyeing up a discounted PS3 that usually come out around the holiday. ehh this is just my opinion I can only imagine what’s in store next a possible Xbox Live price increase? Whoa I’d better not give anyone any ideas… So what does everyone else think about the ads being punched in your face?

That’s right if you haven’t heard already… Xbox Live will be adding Facebook and Twitter to their platform which was announced on Monday June, 1st at the E3 2009 Conference. However, the Facebook and Twitter integration will not be available on Xbox Live until later this fall. One of the cool feature I was reading over on Gizmodo is that you’ll be able to send “in-game screenshots to your Facebook (Facebook reviews) profile in real-time” which I think is a pretty awesome function. And probably the only reason I’d sign up to even have my Xbox 360 link to my Facebook and Twitter profiles.

The press release below explains pretty much what the Microsoft Xbox 360 has achieved so far in the 2009 year… Ahhh but in my opinion what they don’t tell you is the real reason why. Think about it for a second… (times up) you have had your Xbox 360 roughly since 2006 and it’s 2009 that’s 3 years ago the 3 year warranty has expired and you get the red ring of death a day after the warranty expired. What do you do? hmmm… I know what I’d do buy another Xbox 360 of course! which means more money for Micro$oft. It’s as if the Xbox 360 was released all over again. Yeah yeah granted they did extend the warranty till November but, that was back in April when they mentioned the extension. Ehh but take my opinion the way you want… It’s just what I see thanks and enjoy the press release.

Year-over-year growth jumps as Xbox 360 console sales hit 30 million globally and Xbox LIVE community reaches 20 million users.

REDMOND, Wash. — May 28, 2009 — Microsoft Corp. announced today that sales of Xbox 360 consoles have passed the 30 million mark globally, with its Xbox LIVE community swelling to more than 20 million active members. After the biggest year in its history in 2008, Xbox 360 achieved the highest percentage growth in hardware sales of any console so far in 2009, up 28 percent over the previous year.1

The success of the platform can be measured across the business, with Xbox LIVE now considered the world’s largest global entertainment network. Increasing consumer desire to connect with friends, download and enjoy blockbuster movies and TV shows, and extend the life of their favorite games has been the primary driver behind the growth of Xbox LIVE membership and the reason Xbox continues to expand offerings on the platform.

“We’ve always been confident that Xbox 360 offers more entertainment value than any other console on the market, and these latest numbers show that consumers agree,” said Don Mattrick, senior vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “We expect our growth to continue to accelerate. Our news at E3 next week will underscore our commitment to bringing blockbuster entertainment experiences to everyone and to growing the Xbox entertainment brand globally.”

Over the course of this console generation, U.S. consumers alone have spent $14.5 billion across all categories on Xbox 360 at retail.1 This number reflects strong interest in a comprehensive entertainment offering that includes the ability to connect with others socially and to digitally download entertainment, be it games, TV shows or movies. To date, consumers have downloaded nearly 1 billion pieces of gaming and entertainment content from Xbox LIVE Marketplace, including a broad array of premium high- and standard-definition movies and TV shows from top studios and networks around the world.2

In addition, Xbox 360 continues to be the platform of choice for the industry’s top games, generating $5.9 billion in sales to date at U.S. retail for third-party publishers, which is more than those of current-generation consoles combined.1 Xbox 360 also leads current-generation consoles in game purchases, with consumers owning an average of 8.3 titles each.1

Activity on Xbox LIVE, the industry-leading online gaming and entertainment service, surged following the launch of the New Xbox Experience in November 2008. Since that time, the community has recorded a 136 percent increase in new members, TV and movie downloads have more than doubled, and purchases of games, Game Add-ons and more on Xbox LIVE Arcade have increased by 70 percent.2 Xbox LIVE reaches 26 countries worldwide and is now in more homes than any satellite television provider.2 Before the end of the year, the number of Xbox LIVE members will surpass the number of subscribers to the largest cable provider.1 Consumers can expect more exciting announcements from Microsoft next week as Xbox 360 kicks off the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), the world’s premier trade show for computer and video games and related products, with its press briefing on Monday, June 1, in Los Angeles.